Letty Green Church for sale

The Queen and her sister Princess Margaret once worshipped at St John’s Church at Letty Green.

This was in the 1930s when the two princesses stayed with their grandparents Lord and lady Strathmore. Their home was Woolmer’s Park where the grounds ran down to the River Lea.

The Victorian church is now up for sale having been converted into a house.

Letty Green hamlet with its former church is to the south of The Cowper Arms at Cole Green on the Lea Valley Walk.

v

Waltham Abbey: Search for King Harold

Today, Tuesday 14 October 2014, is the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 which is being marked at Waltham Abbey by a search for the body of defeated King Harold.

He is outside the east end of the town’s abbey church in an area which was once within the building.

The annual wreath-laying took place at the grave only last Saturday. However, some believe that the Saxon King did not die at the Battle of Hastings as depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry but lived on.

The team which found Richard III in a Leicester a car park two years ago are on site to look for a much older man.

Until now it has been thought that Harold was buried at Waltham Abbey after the battle since he had stopped there to pray on his way south to stop the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror landing.

Open Luton Church says Christopher Howse

The Lea Valley Walk passes lovely Luton Church which is highlighted in The Daily Telegraph today by Christopher Howse.

With the new edition of Pevsner’s Buildings of England Bedfordshire in hand he has attempted see the church’s very unusual baptistry dating from about 1340.

There are many other interesting features in the very large building including a chapel built by Mr Speaker Wenlock who died in the Wars of the Roses. More recent is the seat used by our present Queen earlier in her reign when paying an annual visit during her wedding anniversary weekends at Luton Hoo.

To see this remarkable church you walk to the far south end of the shopping centre where a huge window frames the church.

Christopher Howse laments that he found the church locked. Until a few years ago is was always open on weekdays. Keeping the doors, given by Cardinal  Wolsey, locked fails both Luton’s tourism push and Christian mission. Locals should be able to visit their own church.

The Line opens Cody Dock link this autumn

Megan Piper, curator of The Line, has indicated that the sculpture trail which will unlock the Cody Dock crossing will be open by the autumn.

Tonight’s Evening Standard has a preview of the artworks which will make this possible.

The pedestrian Bridge across Cody Dock will mean that after years false starts by a quango it will be possible thanks to crowd funding to walk the last few miles of the tidal River Lea.

Lea Valley wetland plan

The Evening Standard carries news of the locally much discussed plan to create a wetlands centre in the Lea Valley.

The boundaries will embrace are Tottenham Marshes in the north and Walthamstow Marshes in the south as well as the reservoirs alongside.

The Lea Valley Walk runs north-south through the middle of the zone.

Access is to be free with the main entrance opposite the Ferry Boat pub at Tottenham. Funding comes from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Thames Water.

Planning permission is expected to be granted by Waltham Forest Council shortly.

By The Banks of the River Lea: Ali Holloway exhibition

Ali Holloway on opening night in front of Glen Faba and Waulads Bank

Ali Holloway on opening night in front of Glen Faba and Waulads Bank

An exhibition of woven textiles called By The Banks of the River Lea has opened at Three Mills.

The show is the result of a long walk last autumn down the Lea Valley Walk by weaver Ali Holloway.

She has woven cloth “to recall the colours, textures, moods and rhythm of the walk”.

It is not only her interpretation which one might find fascinating but the names of places given to the works: Thistly Marsh, Manifold Ditch, Glen Faba and Grotto Wood.

Ali has not just walked from Luton to Limehouse but dug deep into the terrain. Her photographs, although small and displayed at the back of the room, show tree tunnels and other aspects easily missed by those of us who think we know the valley well.

The exhibition at The House Mill is open 11am-4pm until Sunday 11 May except May Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesday.

Three Mills is at the end of Three Mill Lane near Bromley-by-Bow Station.

Ali Holloway has written a River Lea walk blog.